Please show me where I did any of that.
Please show me where I did any of that.
And you have people willing to teach you how to do almost any aspect of woodworking for such a low cost. I can't believe we don't have workshops scheduled every month. I don't understand why there is not a waiting list to get into these workshops.
OK.
Not particularly harsh, Mike, but still sets the tone for blaming the audience. There are other places in this thread far worse.
That said, try not to take everything so personal.
I did host a turning workshop with Alan and Millissa Dewey at my home several years ago and learned some proper spindle turning techniques.
But other than that brief encounter I don't know any teachers, never went to a school, don't have any training or instruction to fall back on.
Everything I do I had to learn the hard way, I got the tool or made a tool and played around til I made it work. Sometimes I ruined the tool, ruined the work, or had to visit the ER. Eventually I figured out a way to get things done.
That is a long, hard, expensive way to go. And I'm still struggling with some things, but some things I have down pat after 15-20 years.
My biggest regret is that I didn't seek help while I was younger, had more time, and was better able to learn and retain information. I would be so far ahead now.
So, I see the same thing going on with a lot of you younger guys, but you have this unbelievable resource at your fingertips. You can ask any question and have an answer or even several answers in a matter of minutes. Sometimes it took me years to find a source or get some basic information.
And you have people willing to teach you how to do almost any aspect of woodworking for such a low cost. I can't believe we don't have workshops scheduled every month. I don't understand why there is not a waiting list to get into these workshops.
For me Mike, woodworking has always been a solitary hobby, my time to get away and create. I have been doing it for about 30 years and I too am self taught. Sure, I butchered alot of lumber in the process, but even seasoned pros do that. I enjoyed the self taught part of it, reading an article in fine woodworking and then going and trying some techniques with new tools hopefully. I wouldnt exactly cut youtube out of the picture either as a resource, there is TONS of great info there, you just need to know whats good and what isnt. As for this site, the problem I see with it is someone asks a question and suddenly they get bombarded with 12 different techinques or processes and suddenly their thread becomes an argument between seasoned woodworkers on why theirs is better. Who wants to wade through that?. Much less take a class put on by said group of experts. Just my opinion for what its worth.
and yet, you invited smallboat and me to your shop to demonstrate bowl turning for him. An act of teach-ery. Perhaps a desire to share knowledge and have company in the shop.
Yes I did Mike! and I actually enjoyed it!. But Im not really a good teacher...
Mike I got to the picnic a little late and the meal and the prize auction took up most of the second half of the day. Not much time to talk with all the folks you'd like to meet in person - but that was my fault looking back. As I moved around the crowd I searched for names and "call signs" that would put a face on the names I see here on the forum. That was a task.
I beg to differ!. Those couple of hours in your shop taught me more than endless hours of muddling about.
A long time turner friend had given me some books but they didn't make sense until I got it straight from the source.
For what it's worth in my own modest way I pass on these insights almost daily in my teaching job.
For those who lament that wood working and crafts in general are losing out to the digital world- fear not!
My classes include both (digital and analog) and given a choice many of the students I've had the last few years have chosen hands on woodworking over computer aided methods.
I have one student in 8th grade this year who is an outstanding turner. Her second ever bowl would stand its own next to any of mine. Currently she's working on a live edge cherry bowl. I've run an afterschool program in wood turning for the last three years. 4th and 5 graders. The only limit is the number of lathes I have.
Inspired by Paul Sellars, I've had students in the same age range carving spoons.
Its hard to beat the real time feedback to the choices you make and the direct connection to a tangible result.
So you never know what down stream effects your simple sharing can foster. The same can be said for Mike's sharpening tips and endless info on finishes and finishing I pick up in the forums. I could list more but you get the idea.
I’m a woodworker under 40. I have two kids, 5 & 3, and a third on the way. I have a full time job and am a part time PhD student. I haven’t meaningfully used my shop since Christmas. Lately, I barely have time to mow my yard. This site is basically my only connection to the hobby.